Requiem
by Scifiction786
Summary: RePost. Oneshot, short. Haunted blue eyes stared at the twinkling night sky...


A/N: I have reposted this story with a few minor changes. People have asked if I was going to continue this story, but I'm not sure - I had planned for it to be just a one-shot songfic. Anyway, let me know - if anyone has any ideas, I'm open to them. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...at all...

Requiem

_I can't stand to fly_

Haunted blue eyes stared at the twinkling night sky. The stars looked like diamonds in an inky blue-black setting. The night was clear except for the occasional wispy cloud and the moon shone at its full intensity.

_I'm not that naïve_

Everything looked calm and peaceful, but he knew better. He used to fly on nights like these so that he could find some peace for himself, but all he found was more death and destruction...more people he couldn't save.

_I'm just out to find the better part of me..._

Often he wondered if he could ever do enough. He had given up everything he had ever wanted in life to do what he did...but it never seemed to be enough. There was always that one loving husband and father of three, or the promising young woman...or the innocent little child...

_I wish that I could cry_

He sucked in a sharp breath. He could still remember that tiny face. It went with him everywhere he went and at night, that boy's face would morph into countless other faces of people he hadn't been able to save.

_Fall upon my knees_

The weight of the world bore down on him, threatening to crush him without mercy. Yet, save for the slight hunch of his shoulders, he showed no sign of his pain. He couldn't.

_Find a way to lie, 'bout a home I'll never see..._

His gaze shifted to an empty space among the scattered stars and he felt the icy tendrils of loneliness begin to surround his heart once again.

_Won't you concede, even heroes have the right to dream..._

Memories of soft brown hair and sparkling green eyes emerged in his mind and the loneliness began to ease away. Gentle concern and melodious laughter along with a soothing warmth and the slightest smell of coffee surrounded him as he remembered.

_You can all sleep sound tonight_

But they were only memories...he had chosen his destiny. This was it. Dark, sparsely furnished apartments and nightmare-riddled sleep were what his world consisted of. Rushing in and saving lives, only to learn of more lives lost was his job.

_I'm not crazy...or anything..._

Yet, at times he truly questioned his sanity. He found himself wondering if he was living in some strange dream and at any moment he would wake up to find himself just a normal man who had the chance to live his life and be with the love of his life.

_I'm only a man in a silly red sheet_

But he wasn't a man at all. He realized that he was probably the biggest outcast in history. He didn't even belong on earth. Every time equality was preached on the basis that everyone is human and therefore equal, he was excluded. He wasn't human, and neither was he equal.

_Only a man in a funny red sheet_

_  
_It was interesting that he was supposed to be the strongest...being...on earth yet he felt so weak. He refocused his attention from the stars to the small lead box held tightly in his hand. A dark shadow cast over him as he moved away from the window and retreated farther into his dark apartment. He had finally realized the futility of being the kind of hero he was. For every life he saved, countless others would be lost. He couldn't save everyone, and he realized that he wasn't meant to. People had done fine without him since the beginning of time, and would continue without him as they had before.

_Lookin' for special things inside of me_

Everyone he loved was gone. The farm was left abandoned after his parents died, his friends had drifted away from him, and she...she could no longer be his – she was someone else's. And she was happy. There was nothing left for him.

_It's not easy to be..._

As he opened the box, allowing the emerald glow to illuminate the darkness and the eerie hue to engulf him, he prayed that she would continue to be happy.

_Me..._

And as his strength left him, he prayed that in death he could finally find peace and happiness for himself.

_I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
I'm just out to find the better part of me _

_I'm more than a bird_

_I'm more than a plane  
More than some pretty face beside a train  
It's not easy to be me _

_Wish that I could cry  
Fall upon my knees  
Find a way to lie  
About a home I'll never see _

_It may sound absurd...but don't be naive  
Even Heroes have the right to bleed  
I may be disturbed...but won't you concede  
Even Heroes have the right to dream  
It's not easy to be me _

_Up, up and away...away from me  
It's all right...You can all sleep sound tonight  
I'm not crazy...or anything... _

_I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
Men weren't meant to ride  
With clouds between their knees _

_I'm only a man in a silly red sheet  
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street  
Only a man in a funny red sheet  
Looking for special things inside of me _

_It's not easy to be me. _

_-Superman by Five for Fighting_


End file.
